This grant project is funded by the USCG, with the goal of creating sustainable paddlesports education for underserved and underrepresented communities.

The ACA has been the national leader in paddlesports safety, education, and instruction since 1972. This grant project will allow the ACA to increase our current capability to conduct on-water instruction for a range of individuals and organizations across the country. This opportunity will promote your organization as a recognized member of the ACA, increase your instructor’s skills and abilities, get underrepresented community members out on the water, create community partnerships, and better promote a safe paddling culture in your community.

The focus of this project will be to provide eighteen (18) skills and assessment courses for selected states and communities as outlined by the U.S. Coast Guard. Nine (9) of these skills and assessment courses will focus on rural communities while the remaining nine (9) will focus on urban communities. The ultimate goal is to have 360 underrepresented youth and 72 adults complete skills and assessment courses with ACA Certified instructors.

By empowering the adults in the selected communities with appropriate boating knowledge and skill, this grant project will be both replicable and sustainable in future years for those locations. This will provide a sustainable source of local education that will contribute to the decrease in both fatalities and accidents for both the current and future generation of boaters.

This grant project will also engage stakeholders at both the local and state level. The ACA has partnered with the appropriate state boating agencies, local outfitters, and other national boating safety organizations as applicable.

ACA Mission

Founded in 1880, The American Canoe Association (ACA) is a national nonprofit organization serving the broader paddling public by providing education related
to all aspects of paddling; stewardship support to help protect paddling environments; and sanctioning of programs and events to promote paddlesport
competition, exploration and recreation.